New in Beauty: The Spring Edit

It's becoming quite a busy time of year for beauty launches, especially with the approaching holiday season. Perhaps it is the changing of the seasons that inspires a bevvy of new beauty releases. Either way, I am not complaining. Today I have a few new products that I've bought and liked myself to share, as well as some new releases that I've received myself. There's some scents to love, the body range that smells good enough to drink, a complexion fixer and more. Read on if you're intrigued...

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Obscura**-These eyeshadow palettes have been out for a little while now but I haven't read or seen very much about them online. When I had the opportunity to grab this one I could not resist. When free Hourglass is on offer, how could you? The idea behind these palettes is they're designed to offer new twists on the smokey eye, although honestly you could use these colours for a range of looks. You don't have to take things to dramatic lengths if that's not what you are after. My favourite colour is that rose gold hue, smack bang in the middle. It's a gem. These eyeshadows are all beautifully pigmented too. They do have a fair bit of product that comes up when you place your brush into them but it's nothing a tap off of the brush can't fix. Go give these a swatch when you're next near somewhere selling Hourglass. They're stunning.

Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand in Light*-Touching up makeup on the go has never really been a priority for me. I might powder and touch up my lipstick but anything beyond that I usually cannot be bothered with. That being said, when a product like this, designed for touch-ups comes along and makes everything very easy I am swayed. This is one of those twist-up pens and the brush is designed to quickly swipe on the product. I wouldn't say it's the best brush for blending necessarily so I have a concealer brush in my bag to apply it, or you could just use fingers. I love that there's a range of colours for all skintones too. That's something Bobbi Brown really do well with their base products.

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm-New Zealand, well Auckland specifically is getting with the times and has finally opened its first Aesop store. While it is in no way the biggest retail space, it is well stocked and beautifully designed so when I paid it a visit there was no way I was going to leave empty handed. I was intrigued by this product after seeing it on Chloe's blog and while it was a bit of a luxe buy, it's going to last forever. That tube is huge. Obviously if you have drier skin than me you will appreciate this more than I do but even for me I find it so nourishing and hydrating. My hands are prone to getting dry as are my elbows so I've been slathering it on there to keep them looking top-notch. It sinks in so quickly and doesn't feel tacky or heavy on the skin, which I love. It is scented with vanilla, cedarwood and tangerine so it smells divine. I'm so glad I picked this up.

Stella McCartney POP**-Two perfumes in one post? What can I say, I am a fragrance fiend. This is my first Stella McCartney perfume, as her scents seem to always be a bit difficult to track down here in NZ and I am loving it. It contains notes of; Tomato leaves, Violet leaves, Green mandarin, Violet, Tuberose, Plumeria, Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Musks. It definitely has a youthful, fresher edge compared to the original Stella fragrance and something more floral like L.I.LY. Its lightness is refreshing, especially after a Winter spent wearing typically more heavier, muskier scents.

YSL Mon Paris*, available October 17th-Like Stella, this is my first foray into YSL fragrances. I remember their Baby Doll fragrances being particularly popular back in high school but they never seemed to have won me over. Anyway, YSL's newest fragrance, Mon Paris is inspired by the city of love and the dizzying heights and feelings we experience in love. It combines fruity notes with florals and has a white musk and cedarwood base. Now I am rubbish at writing about scents so I am not going to attempt anything prolific here but it definitely does have a sense of comfort to it. What I mean by that is it reminds me of fragrances I have been drawn to previously, yet it still remains unique. It is a beautiful scent and is really long-wearing too. Definitely go give this a spritz and prepare to be entranced when it lands on counters.

Real Techniques Mini Eraser Sponge-Sam and Nic have been bringing it with their new launches this year, as well as revamping their original brushes so they are much more vibrant. These new sponges are a miniature version of their popular complexion sponge and are much cheaper than the higher-end alternatives. I love this for patting in under-eye concealer and concealer in general actually. I prefer the finish from using a sponge to blending with a brush these days, although I do still use both. The flattened side is great for getting into the contours of the face as well.

Pinita Colada* x The Body Shop-TBS are back again with another tempting, luxurious range for the Southern Hemisphere Summer. When I saw this popping up on Anna's Instagram it immediately caught my eye. I love tropical scents, especially at this time of year. The standout product for me has to be the body sorbet, pictured. Pro tip: Stick it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. I have to give mention to their scrub as well because you all know how much I love their scrubs.

Mecca Cosmetica Sunbrella Invisible Superspray-If this were an episode of Friends it would be the one where Sophie sees something on Instagram, reads the praise and then seeks it out in Mecca. That's more or less what happened in a nutshell. Now this is a product I'm still rather unsure about. In theory it sounds fantastic. Sunbrella is a spray that you spritz onto the hands and then pat onto your face and body, offering four hour sun protection. What I am not liking so much is how chemical it smells. Honestly it's quite potent and products like that can wreak havoc on my skin if I am not careful. I will keep you posted as to whether or not this product exceeds expectations or is just a bit of a gimmick.